For the Chinese aerospace sector, the homegrown COMAC C919 is viewed as the great hope when it comes to breaking the Airbus-Boeing manufacturing duopoly that currently dominates the narrowbody twinjet space. The aircraft has been in service domestically for several years now, but has struggled to make much of an impact on an international level. However, things could be about to change on this front, at least in Europe.
Indeed, this is because news has emerged concerning the details of multiple test flights undertaken with the COMAC C919 last year that were overseen by the European Union Safety Agency (EASA). These could potentially pave the way for the Chinese narrowbody twinjet to be certified for commercial passenger operations in Europe, which might open the door for carriers to order the jet, with Ryanair among those flirting with the idea.
Putting The C919 To The Test
As first reported by the South China Morning Post, it has emerged that EASA verification flights concerning the COMAC C919 began back in November of 2025. Two of the European Union Safety Agency’s test pilots were dispatched to China to undertake these missions, which were flown out of Pudong International Airport (PVG) in the Chinese city of Shanghai. The SCMP adds that ‘senior foreign pilots’ are also working on this initiative.
According to the publication, a source close to the matter has claimed that EASA has « agreed the aircraft is good and safe, (…) other than some teething problems that required tweaks. » These issues allegedly involved the jet’s software, but a source close to the matter has reportedly said that ‘small fixes’ will be sufficient when it comes to rectifying them. The SCMP quotes Jason Li Hanming, an aviation and logistics analyst, as explaining:
« They will focus on how the aircraft can handle extreme situations for real-time, airborne assessment. It is arguably the most visible part of the certification, signalling the efforts by both Comac and EASA. »
Increased Dialogue Between EASA & COMAC
The South China Morning Post also notes that there has been an increased level of dialogue between COMAC and EASA in recent times, despite delays to the new narrowbody twinjet’s certification process last year. With these exchanges becoming more and more frequent, COMAC looks to be treading a steady path towards the European certification, which it is in dire need of in order for the C919 to become a meaningful global player.
With test flights representing the third of four parts in EASA’s assessment regime, COMAC has clearly already laid the foundations for an entry into the lucrative European market for its new homegrown single-aisle passenger airliner. This isn’t likely to happen overnight, with the SCMP noting that EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet said in 2025 that « we should be certifying within three to six years, » adding that COMAC « will succeed. »
Still, the Chinese manufacturer is taking the process very seriously, with Guillermet explaining at the time that « COMAC is putting a lot of resources, determination and technical means into this certification. » In terms of the boxes that have already been ticked, the SCMP notes that, according to a source close to the matter, the COMAC C919 has already passed the first check relating to the crew resource management (CRM) assessment.
The Importance Of Crew Resource Management: A Pilot’s Perspective
CRM allows any two pilots to work together, and its introduction in the 1980s was a watershed moment for enhancing industry safety.
Where Will Foreign Orders Come From?
The COMAC C919 entered service in 2023, and has since been increasingly rolled out by some of China’s major airlines. Still, as reported by Reuters, Western airlines (such as those based in the European Union under the jurisdiction of EASA) cannot currently buy the jet due to its lack of certification. Flightradar24 adds that, while the C919 has amassed more than 1,200 orders to date, all the confirmed airline orders are from those within China.
As detailed in the video above, there has been some foreign interest in the COMAC C919 from as far afield as Brazil. Elsewhere, European low-cost giant Ryanair is arguably the most notable airline to have expressed an interest in placing an order for the type. On this front, Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary went on record in March 2025 as saying that « if it was cheap enough, 10 or 20% cheaper than an Airbus aircraft, then we’d order it, »